Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s planned defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has become one of Kano’s most talked about political puzzles following the uncertainty surrounding the move. When the news broke a couple of weeks ago that the governor was perfecting plans to dump NNPP, the party on whose platform he became governor, many found it hard to believe, given his relationship with his political god father, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The defection, which was hitherto slated for the first week of January 2026, was pushed to January 12, 2026.
The much anticipated event was again stalled as the governor continued his consultations with National Assembly members, state legislators and key figures in the ruling party amid warnings from his political godfather and 2023 presidential candidate of the NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
According to findings by The PrimeCitizens, the top leadership of the ruling party has been unable to grant the request, placing it on hold waiting for President Bola Tinubu’s return from his foreign trip.
“The governor does not want to blindly join the APC and then later have people like the former national chairman of APC, Abdullahi Ganduje coming up with their own anointed candidate.
“You know that immediately he joins the party, he will stop enjoying the support he gets from His Excellency Rabiu Kwankwaso so if he doesn’t have the support of people like Ganduje or Kwankwaso, 2027 is going to be very tough for him.
“But if Kwankwaso had agreed to also follow the governor to APC, the whole thing would have been easier for the governor but Kwankwaso himself is not ready to move to APC, at least not yet.
“Now that Mr President is back to Nigeria, things will become clearer in the coming days, hopefully, the governor’s request will be granted but mind you, he is not the only governor seeking re-election”, the source said.
Prior to the governor’s move to dump the New Nigeria’s People’s Party (NNPP), there has been a cold war among leadership of the party. According to reports, the internal wrangling birthed the decision of the governor to shift his alliance to the ruling party.
The crisis reportedly began with a contentious change of the party’s logo, as the Kwankwaso-led faction replaced the basket of fruits with a book and graduation cap.
But the governor’s camp insisted that the previous logo must be maintained.
The development, The PrimeCitizens.com.ng gathered, sparked legal battles that have since thrown the party into uncertainty, deepening internal fragmentation.
While the governor has the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Hon Jibril Ismail Falgore, some Local Government Chairmen in his camp, the deputy governor, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo and some members of the state cabinet remain loyal to Kwankwaso.
It was gathered that Hon Mustapha Kwankwaso, the first son of the NNPP leader and other Yusuf’s cabinet members loyal to Kwankwaso, will immediately quit their jobs when the governor officially joins APC.
Meanwhile, all this time, the Kwankwasiyya Movement in Kano state had been silent, watching quietly as the events unfolded. But days ago, they broke their silence. The group, headed by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, sent a strong warning to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, declaring that the political influence of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso remains untouchable.
This bold declaration was made by a top official of the Kwankwasiyya Movement in Kano State has boldly declared that any candidate chosen by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the movement’s national leader, will decisively defeat Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in future elections. Saddam Sani Umar, one of the Executive members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement in Kano, made the assertion amid escalating political tensions and rumors of Governor Yusuf’s potential defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a strongly worded statement, Umar dismissed suggestions that Kwankwaso or the movement would suffer politically from any fallout with the governor. He emphasized Kwankwaso’s enduring influence and grassroots support, stating: “Whoever Kwankwaso chooses, the people will turn out massively to vote for them. In Kano, if Kwankwaso chooses a dog, the people will vote for it because they trust him as a leader who stands by his people.”
Umar highlighted Kwankwaso’s role in elevating Yusuf politically, noting that the governor had never contested any election prior to his emergence as candidate, having served as Kwankwaso’s personal assistant for over 30 years before being appointed commissioner and later governor.
He described any notion of Kwankwaso losing influence as “myopic.”Referencing historical precedents, Umar warned against betrayal, pointing to former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s fallout with Kwankwaso, which he claimed led to electoral losses.
“Betraying Kwankwaso does not end well; history proves it,” he said. On the movement’s resilience, Umar asserted that the Kwankwasiyya ideology remains strong, even if some defect to the APC. He noted that defectors would likely retain symbols like the red cap to avoid alienating supporters, adding:
“The moment they take that cap off, they lose their political safety.” The comments come against the backdrop of reports suggesting Governor Yusuf is ready to confront Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso politically, especially in the coming governorship elections next year should Kwankwaso support another candidate. Umar also dismissed reports saying the governor’s defection has split the Kwankwasiyya ranks. He insists Governor Yusuf has not got even a fraction of the Kwankwasiya group on his side and so has nothing to fight Kwankwaso politically.
Meanwhile, Kwankwaso loyalists, including the deputy governor and key commissioners, have publicly reaffirmed their allegiance to the former governor. Umar expressed confidence that the movement would remain unaffected in the long term, arguing that core supporters prioritize loyalty over government resources.
“The real fight has not yet started,” he cautioned, urging Kwankwasiyya loyalists in government positions to remain as “strong pillars” ready for future action. The political rift in Kano continues to dominate discussions, with implications for party alignments and power dynamics ahead of the 2027 polls.
But the immediate past Chairman of NNPP in Kano State, Hashimu Dungurawa is toeing a different line. He has not gone confrontational with the governor, instead, he is appealing that hr reconsiders his decision. H wants the governor to shelve his planned defection.
Dungurawa pointed out that while Governor Yusuf’s re-election under NNPP is sure, the road is not clear for him if he defects to APC.
He said, “It is still my prayer that the governor doesn’t leave our party because leaving the party will cause a lot of vacuum that will be difficult to fill.
“Staying with NNPP will help him because where he is going is a camp of his enemies.
“We are here supporting him in the NNPP, nobody is fighting him and there is nobody that is not wishing him well.
“If he remains in our party, he will automatically return as governor for his second term. There is no clear road in where he is going so the best thing for him is to remain with us.
“Definitely, we will all work for his victory in 2027 if he remains in our party. I don’t see any reason why he should be jumping to another when he is comfortable where he is.
“In 2027, NNPP is going to defeat the so-called APC and PDP in Kano State”.
WALE LAWAL (08037209290)
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